When the air becomes crisp and snow begins to fall, the natural world can seem still and silent. Yet experienced bird-watchers always keep their binoculars handy, for winter provides the perfect setting to catch a glimpse of some extraordinary birds.

Bird-watchers look forward to winter in Pennsylvania, Delaware, and New Jersey because it is the perfect time to spot birds that do not normally live in our area. These experts know what settings and types of vegetation attract rare birds, and they have the ability to identify them based on their plumage, behaviors, and calls.

If you are not an experienced bird-watcher, we hope the following images, descriptions, and tips will help you discover and photograph the winter birds in your neighborhood with nearly as much skill as a seasoned birder. Read more about bird migration.

Bird-watching Tip
Did you know that many birds associate skyward movements with predators? That means that you may frighten a bird if you stand up from a seated position or abruptly lift your binoculars. To avoid disturbing the bird, remain still. Raise your binoculars or camera to your face very, very slowly, pulling your arms up against your torso. ~Nate Rice, Ornithology Collection Manager

VIREO’s Top 10 Tips for Bird Photography from Doug Wechsler, Former Director, Visual Resources for Ornithology

Keep the sun at your back. Side lighting and backlighting rarely work well for birds.

For most situations, use the longest lens you have.

Use a tripod whenever possible.

Know your birds. Try to anticipate where a bird will be, and set up before it arrives.

On sunny days, shoot photographs early and late in the day.

Pay attention to the background—usually simple is best.

For flight shots, pan the camera following the movement of the bird.

Avoid shadows and lighting with intense contrast.

Think about composition while shooting. Don’t place the bird in the center of every frame.

Shoot for action and behavior; don’t just settle for portraits.

Migration and Irruptive Migrants

Most of us know that many birds fly south for the winter or retreat to lower elevations where food is plentiful. Some birds simply are more likely to migrate because their ancestors did, while others must migrate to survive. For this latter group, warmer destinations provide food, such as berries and insects, which are in short supply during a cold northern winter. Unfortunately, a number of migrants never reach their safe havens as a result of predators, overexertion, extreme weight loss, starvation, collisions, challenging weather, and a variety of other dangers encountered during their journeys.

The dangers of migration may be part of the reason that certain birds do not leave their habitats during inclement weather. Blue jays, which migrate only occasionally, mourning doves, crows, cardinals, and others forage for food throughout the winter.

Not all birds have such predictable cold-weather behavior. Unlike migratory birds, which travel from one specific site to another every year, irruptive migrants travel abruptly to a variety of sites when their regular cuisine is scarce. As winter seed-eaters that are not solely dependent upon berries and insects, they are able to find food in many different areas year-round. Scientists are still working to determine the triggers of winter bird irruptions. While some point to harsh weather and its effects on food availability, others credit food supply alone.

Parts of this article originally appeared in the winter 2014 issue of Academy Frontiers.

All photographs are from the Academy’s Visual Resources for Ornithology (VIREO) collection, the Academy’s worldwide bird photography collection, which includes images of 7,300 species of birds. Seven hundred photographers and ornithologists have contributed to the collection. VIREO photographs are widely used in publications, exhibits, apps, and educational lectures.You can see 93,000 photos of birds, including all of the North American species, at vireo.ansp.org.

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